Ragweed is a ruderal species, bud. If you cleared stuff, it's GOING to come in. The ragweed seed was probably waiting in the soil already. Some species, their seed can sit in the soil for over 90 years waiting for the ground to be cleared so it can sprout.

My current plant problem I'm working on is the Albizia tree. I need to have some sort of plan in place for when I clear to build our house, otherwise I'm going to see nothing but Albizia everywhere, making me not so good of a new neighbor.

Took a bunch of pictures today. Many are of mushrooms that popped up affter the last few days of rain.I took pictures of dirt on different portions of my land. North east is rocky limestone. North is clay. Central is good dirt. Lawn is fertile sand. A few pictures of the dog, as well. There are a couple pictures of a chunk of semi-open land on the NE portion of my lot, where my native persimmon tree grows (in the bad, limestone soil) So I transplanted 12 persimmon seedlings straight into the tilled up rocky dirt in that field. It just may turn into my persimmon orchard.

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All that is gold does not glitter,Not all those who wander are lost;The old that is strong does not wither,Deep roots are not reached by the frost.

Dug up some of my white sweet potatoes. I'll eat a few, replant a few. Speaking of replanting...

I think I am going to cut all of my sweet potato vines and slips off and plant this ~1.5 acre easement. Its a ways off through the woods, so I wont be tending this patch. It will be interesting to see how it fares.

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All that is gold does not glitter,Not all those who wander are lost;The old that is strong does not wither,Deep roots are not reached by the frost.

If now is the season for late blight, it's here and it is decimating my crop.

Ugh. Only the strong survive. Knocked a few tomato varieties off my list for next year at least.

It's not just the varieties but also how you are planting them and tending to them, most likely.

When we lived in blight infested Illinois I had to separate my plants by a distance of 2". Also I took care to wash my hands and tools when I moved from one bed to another to limit the spread. And finally, when watering, pour gently at the base of the plant, not splashing it about with the garden hose. The spores are in the soil and when you splash the soil it spreads them up to the leaves.

Yeah. I planted them a little too closely together. I'm always mindful of cross contamination, though, and I do rinse my tools every time I move from plant to plant. I should probably bring alcohol out with me.

I'll plant them wider next year. But these plants were very poor to begin with and I don't care for the tomatoes produced.

Oh! And I used drip tape, so there's no splashing. It's gotten cool (WEIRDLY) and has been very wet and moist lately though, so they haven't been able to dry out either. :/ Poor guys.

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Case: he's more likely to shoot up a mcdonalds for selling secret obama sauce on its big macsKismet: didn't see you in GQ homeyBadSkeelz: Whatever you say, Kim Jong Boog

Yeah. I planted them a little too closely together. I'm always mindful of cross contamination, though, and I do rinse my tools every time I move from plant to plant. I should probably bring alcohol out with me.

I'll plant them wider next year. But these plants were very poor to begin with and I don't care for the tomatoes produced.

Oh! And I used drip tape, so there's no splashing. It's gotten cool (WEIRDLY) and has been very wet and moist lately though, so they haven't been able to dry out either. :/ Poor guys.

Yeah, there's not much you can do in that weather. I had an old woman tell me once the blight was caused by my smoking in the garden. She was insistent that the blight was spread off of tobacco plants. So different gardeners vary in their level of "intervention".

I have not had the blight once here in West Texas, but there's no cool, wet days except in winter. Our bigger problems with tomatoes comes with the heat. The pollen liquefies at greater than 94 degrees F and it can hit that by 9am.

In November when I get to our new home I'll have to see which varieties work well in the wet heat. Year round growing season. Ooo raaa.

San Marzano, Sweet Tangerine, Hillbilly all haven't fared so well. Weird on the latter, because it's meant for the wet heat.

My Debbie Blackburns and Anna Russians JUST NOW put out flowers, even though the latter is supposedly a 60-75 day tomato. I'm hoping to get a few before frost so I can save the seeds. :/

My cukes and squash have all been borered or beetled this year. I taped some of their stems up and the new ones I put out are doing well. I harvested a lil squashling the other day and I'm considering making a pie.

I'm looking forward to my fall garden. I want to ask a friend to borrow his chickens for a little while to let them eat the grubs before I turn it (mostly) to rest for the winter.

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Case: he's more likely to shoot up a mcdonalds for selling secret obama sauce on its big macsKismet: didn't see you in GQ homeyBadSkeelz: Whatever you say, Kim Jong Boog

Don't hate on hybrids. Every "heirloom" started out as a hybrid that consistently bred true.

I took hybrids and make my own "heirlooms". I call one the "Lunchtimer". It's little cherry tomatoes with the flavor and consistency of a Roma. Very prolific but smallish fruit and thrives on very little water.

Don't hate on hybrids. Every "heirloom" started out as a hybrid that consistently bred true.

I took hybrids and make my own "heirlooms". I call one the "Lunchtimer". It's little cherry tomatoes with the flavor and consistency of a Roma. Very prolific but smallish fruit and thrives on very little water.

You're right. I'm just not sure I have time to isolate the correct traits through trial and error. Stability is useful for me right now.

Some farm in CA DID stabilize Early Girl and renamed it Dirty Girl. I'm intrigued by it and might try to purchase seeds next year.

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Case: he's more likely to shoot up a mcdonalds for selling secret obama sauce on its big macsKismet: didn't see you in GQ homeyBadSkeelz: Whatever you say, Kim Jong Boog

The simple way to do it is to just keep gardening year after year and save seed from the plants that you like.

If you do that then you're guaranteed to have plants which thrive under BOOG'S hand, not some California based plant breeder's hand. Also plants which are going to thrive in YOUR microclimate, in your soil, etc.

I have done it by keeping charts of chromosomal traits and also the simple "just save the seed from the plants I like" and now I much prefer the simple method. It's guaranteed to improve your seed stock for your specific garden.